Mikibo launches Calorifica

The makers of Mikibo have launched a new site called Calorifica (www.calorifica.com). Calorifica is a food nutrient data search engine. Simply type in a food name and you will be presented with all of its nutrient data.

Visit: www.calorifica.com and give it a try.

Rationalizing obesity

A new study has found that more than four out of five Americans characterized their eating habits as healthy. This is despite the fact that 65% of American adults are overweight and over 30% are obese. The study conducted by Thomson Medstat involved a telephone survey of 12,000 American adults as part of the 2006 PULSE survey, America’s largest ongoing, privately sponsored consumer health survey. The findings of the survey suggest that for most people obesity is the result of occasional indulgence in a number of risky behaviors.

In addition to the specific eating and lifestyle habit questions, respondents were asked for their heights and weights. Results were then categorized by respondents’ body mass index (BMI) to determine trends among underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese and morbidly obese people.

When respondents were asked how often they consumed fast foods, ‘upsized’ their fast foods and ate unhealthy snacks there were small differences between normal weight and overweight people. However, over half of the respondents said they did not exercise for 20 minutes more than two times per week.

One result that was very clear was the relationship between respondents who reported that they had diabetes and BMI. Five percent of the normal weight respondents reported having diabetes. This rose to 9% for overweight respondents, 19% for obese respondents and a staggering 34% for morbidly obese respondents.

The conclusion is that while very few people from any of the BMI categories consistently ate super sized fast foods, snacked recklessly or even characterized their eating habits as poor, several high risk behaviors have combined to become part of the average American’s weekly routine. Through a combination of occasional fast foods, moderate snacking, not quite enough exercise and the belief that these habits are ’somewhat healthy’, Americans are rationalizing themselves into ever-expanding waistlines and diabetes.